1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bench for use in connection with supporting free weights used in weight training associated with physical fitness. The weight bench with dumbbell supports has particular utility in connection with supporting both dumbbell and barbell style weights.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fitness enthusiasts have recently returned to weightlifting as a popular method for their workouts. Weight training can be used to build muscular strength while increasing stamina since the lifter must both balance and lift weights mounted on opposite ends of a lifting bar, thereby exercising the entire cross sectional area of muscle. One of the most common and effective weightlifting techniques to increase overall muscle strength requires the weightlifter to repetitively lift a predetermined weight until his or her muscles have reached a point of nearly complete physical exhaustion. To avoid injuries during this procedure, it is a common safety practice to engage the assistance or a spotter or lifting partner whose function is to observe the weightlifter during the exercise program and provide assistance, if necessary, as the weight lifter approaches the point of failure or if the weightlifter loses control of the barbell. When a weightlifter includes dumbbells in his workout regimen, additional problems come in to play. If a spotter is not used, the dumbbells are typically lifted from the floor while the weightlifter is lying on a weight bench, causing undue strain on the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Additionally, the weightlifting exercises must then be started from a lower than desirable position, again subjecting the various parts of the arms to undue pressure. Therefore, it would be advantageous to the weightlifter to have a weight bench which supported a similar starting position for both barbell and dumbbell weight exercises. This would allow the individual to perform more repetitions, thus enhancing the workout, and would reduce the risk of muscle strains and injuries, thereby enhancing safety. In addition, a bench that provided dumbbell supports would eliminate the need to ask another person for help when starting repetitions, allowing a fitness enthusiast to work out in a timesaving and efficient manner.
A wide variety of weightlifting exercises can be performed when dumbbells and barbells are combined with a multi-position weight bench. Some exercises are performed on a flat bench, some on an inclined bench, and some on a declined bench, wherein one part of the bench is angled downward toward the floor. Therefore, a weight bench which combines support for both dumbbells and barbells with a multi-positional bench would be beneficial to the individual involved in weight training. However, the majority of health clubs and private owners who currently own weight benches would be unwilling to spend the money to buy a new weight bench solely for the purpose of adding dumbbell supports to the facility. Thus, an apparatus which could be mounted on a variety of existing weight benches to hold dumbbells would be beneficial in the weight training arena.
The use of weight benches is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,898 to Darrel Schoolfield discloses a sliding weight rack that uses linear bearings to retract the weight rack backwards so it is out of the way while the user completes his exercises but still accessible when the user is ready to replace the weights on the rack. However, the Schoolfield '898 patent does not provide a sufficient arc in the receiving rests for the weights, and it is conceivable that the user could pull the weight from the receiving rests while attempting to move the weight bar forward, causing severe injury to the user. Additionally, the placement of the gas struts on the weight bar precludes the use of the bench for any sitting exercises in which the legs would straddle the bench.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,876 to Gilbert Reyes discloses a weight-bar support structure with retractable arms that uses a spring-loaded weight cradle for allowing the user to pull the weight forward to a more desirable position when removing it from the supports. The spring causes the supports to retract when the weight is removed from them. However, the Reyes '876 patent does not make any provision for the use of dumbbells in association with this structure. Furthermore, no indication is given in the Reyes '876 patent that additional supports can be added to the existing barbell supports for accomodating dumbbells.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. Des.399,543 to Clive Graham Stevens discloses the ornamental design for a multi-positional weightlifting bench that has a barbell support on either side of the head of the bench. However, the Stevens '543 patent does not include supports for positioning dumbbells for part of the weight training regimen, neither does it provide an attachment to provide supports for dumbbells. Furthermore, the Stevens '543 device has the barbell supports positioned behind the portion of the bench on which the user would place his head, which could cause undue stress on the shoulders when initially lifting the barbell from the support and when placing the barbell in the support at the conclusion of the exercise. Finally, the formation of the Stevens '543 device is such that a spotter can not reach the weight and support bars, rendering him useless to the weightlifter.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,865 to Parker E. Mahnke discloses an exercise bench that provides a barbell support on either side of the bench. However, the Mahnke '865 patent does not provide supports that would be useful for holding dumbbells; thus the user would have to lift dumbbells from the floor, placing his shoulders and arms under an undue amount of stress. Additionally, only the top portion of the bench can be inclined in the Mahnke '865 device, reducing the amount of exercises which can be accomplished using the device. Finally, the Mahnke '865 patent makes no mention of attachments that can be added to the existing device in order to support other types of weights.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,934 to Siegfried Roethke discloses an exercise tower and bench that use multiple apertures in the frame to adjust the bench positioning and location in relation to the tower. However, the Roethke '934 patent is not freestanding and requires the fixed position support unit to be secured to a wall or other support member, thus reducing portability of the device. Additionally, the Roethke '934 patent makes no provision for dumbbell supports built into the tower, nor does it provide attachments which are able to support dumbbells. Finally, the Roethke '934 device is inconvenient to use and slows down a workout, requiring time between each exercise set to reconfigure the device.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,260 to Andrew Roosevelt discloses a thoracic weightlifting bench that incorporates a curved portion of the bench wherein the user would lay his head and neck, thus providing the correct support to a weightlifter's back when performing the bench press. However, the Roosevelt '260 device is intended strictly for the bench press, and the curved bench precludes doing some exercises that require a flat bench. Additionally, the Roosevelt '260 device makes no provision for dumbbell supports, either as part of the bench or as attachments to the bench. Moreover, the bench in the Roosevelt '260 patent does not incline or decline, further limiting the number of exercises that can be performed with this device.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,921 to Jeffrey S. Dawson discloses a free weight barbell lifting exercise machine with user controllable lift assist and safety device which employs a cable system operated by a pneumatic motor to apply an exponentially variable lifting force to the cable in response to linear movement of a foot pedal to replicate the function of a spotter. However, the Dawson '921 device is complex, driving up the cost of manufacture and resulting in higher costs to the consumer. Additionally, the Dawson '921 patent makes no provision for supporting dumbbells within the present invention.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a weight bench with dumbbell supports that allows the user to safely execute a workout using both dumbbells and barbells from multiple positions of the bench. The Reyes '876, Stevens '543, Mahnke '865, Roethke '934, Roosevelt '260, and Dawson '921 patents make no provision for the use of dumbbells in association with the weight benches proffered in the patents, nor do the aforementioned patents indicate any support attachments which can be mounted on the existing bench to provide a support structure for dumbbells. Furthermore, the Schoolfield '898 device could be unsafe to use because it does not provide a sufficient arc in the receiving rests for the weights, and it is conceivable that the user could pull the weight from the receiving rests while attempting to move the weight bar forward, inflicting injury upon himself. The Stevens '543 device could also cause injury due to stress placed on the shoulders when the user reaches behind his head to place the barbell on the supports. The Schoolfield '898, Stevens '543, and Roosevelt '260 patents have structural limitations. The placement of the gas struts on the lower portion of the weight bar in the Schoolfield '898 device precludes the use of the bench for any sitting exercises in which the legs would straddle the bench, the formation of the Stevens '543 device is such that a spotter can not reach the weight and support bars, rendering him useless to the weightlifter, and the Roosevelt '260 device has a curved bench which precludes doing any exercises requiring a flat bench. The Mahnke '865 and Roosevelt '260 devices limit the number of exercises which can be performed because only the top portion of the bench can be inclined in the Mahnke '865 device and the bench in the Roosevelt '260 patent neither inclines nor declines. While the Roethke '934 patent allows multiple configurations of the bench, it is inconvenient to use and slows down a workout, requiring time between each exercise set to reconfigure the device. Moreover, the Roethke '934 device is not freestanding and requires the fixed position support unit to be secured to a wall or other support member, thus reducing portability of the device. Finally, the Dawson '921 device is complex, driving up the cost to manufacture and resulting in higher costs to the consumer.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved weight bench attachment that supports dumbbells and allows an existing weight bench to be safely used for a wider variety of exercises. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the weight bench with dumbbell supports according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a support structure for dumbbells on a new or existing weight bench, thereby decreasing the risk of injury to the weight lifter.